


Passions

by novicescribe



Category: Shingeki no Kyojin | Attack on Titan
Genre: Drabble, Fluff, Gen, International Fanworks Day 2016
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-02-16
Updated: 2016-02-16
Packaged: 2018-05-20 22:31:32
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,702
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6027778
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/novicescribe/pseuds/novicescribe
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>A series of short works dedicated to all the fangirls and fanboys over the world in which characters fall crazy over everything and anything possible! Oi lads, fan the flames!</p><p>One of the greatest classics of human knowledge of any kind is the collection of sayings generally attributed to the Chinese general Sun Tzu (6th century BC). How could such a fascinating and instructive reading such as the Art of War fail to elicit Commander Erwin's interest? </p><p>DISCLAIMER: I do not own any characters, rights or anything else associated with any of the universes/storylines used here. I could only wish so. Any possible similarity to real world events, persons, works of fiction or desks are incidentally coincidential. Or intentionally coincidential. Some characters are notably out of character, while others retain their main attributes, according to the mysterious flow of the power of fanfiction!  </p><p>Provisoric note: I said 'a series of works'. Well, the others are about to be written at some point in history, so don't worry - the statement stands :D</p>
            </blockquote>





	Passions

**Author's Note:**

> This chapter is devoted to Erwin Smith, Commander of the Survey Corps and Armin Arlert, the two strategic-minded blonde men in the spearhead of humanity - and also to all those, who believe that the 74th rule of acquisition - 'Knowledge equals profit.' - should be interpreted in a less material, and more spiritual vein, than according to the Ferengi. 
> 
> Note for the pedant and meticulous: I used the Giles translation of the Art of War, published in 1910 for the quotations. :)
> 
> Chapter title: Knowledge
> 
> Fandom: Shingeki no Kyojin/Attack on Titan
> 
> Rated: General Audiences
> 
> Main characters: Erwin Smith, Armin Arlert, Levi Ackerman
> 
> Some minor spoilers for those, who have not read the manga.

'If you know the enemy and know yourself, you need not fear the result of a hundred battles.'

Commander Erwin Smith has let out a heavy sigh. Now that was the crux of the matter, wasn't it? He has been pondering over this question, the knowledge of the enemy for years now. Under his stewardship the Reckon Corps made significant inroads into the hitherto misty realm of the existance of the titans; their origins, numbers, behavior and above all: motives. It was all very well to fight an enemy obviously bent on exterminating you to the last man, but how can one fight a foe he knows nothing about? Still...everything done in the past year was one huge gamble, in fact everything done in the last hundred years. It was enough to fail one time only and the consequences might be of the gravest order. That fact above all, weighed heavily on Erwin's shoulders.

'You have been reading that one for hours now and making facial expressions as if you were dreaming.' Levi said in his usual cold, uncaring tone. He was right. Erwin spent the day sitting at his desk, deep in thought over the upcoming expedition to Wall Maria; a battle that promised to be every bit as decisive as any battle can get. Preparations have been made: supplies gathered, personnel exercised again and again to keep them on a high efficiency, maps drawn and forces mustered. With only days remaining nothing was left, but the carefully laid out plans - and the doubts surrounding them. A sortie deep into enemy territory in face of superior numbers and fighting potential with a lot of raw recruits filling the ranks to make up the necessary numbers, taking the places of perished veterans. 

'Just snap out of it!' Levi demanded. Erwin indeed did snap out of his gloomy thoughts. Secretly he was thankful for Levi's help in the issue. 

'Right, I am sorry Levi. I was just pondering over the basics of the plan.' he said.

'From where I am standing, the issue is simple: they die, or we do. There's not much room for anything else here.' Levi declared. That certainly was true. This was promising to be a to death struggle.

'Quite.' Erwin cleared his throat. 'But if you don't mind, I'd rather that they die and we live, which is exactly why I need to study this.' he said with a smile on his face, pointing to the book on his desk with one hand. 

'And what could an old book, moth-trodden, pages turned yellow by the bites of time teach you? It is not even about the titans.' Levi pointed out. 

'No, it is not.' Erwin admitted. 'That is why its so fascinating. It was written hundreds of years ago, long before humanity was confined within this self-contained cage we live in now. Actually, it is a miracle that it survived.' A steady stream of genuine conviction and passion was building up in his voice as he continued. 'Just think of it! There are no records whatsoever of who this "Sun Tzu" was or if he ever lived at all. No records of the campaigns he describes. No records of the people he belonged to. Nothing. It is as if our past beyond these walls has never existed at all. But there was a time, before the titans too - a time in which humanity seems to have been engaged in constant warring with itself.'

Levi scowled, Erwin however wasn't discouraged at all. 'Knowledge is essential if we want to survive. We must understand our foe where they have come from, wait their purpose is to survive. And to this, we must learn how humanity got bottled up within these walls.'

Levi was continuing to listen silently and altough he sure did not looked pleased by Erwin's arguments, there was no practical way in which he could have denied any of them. He just stood there, silent, arms crossed over his chest, right foot rested against the wall and gaze fixed upon Erwin, his eyes falling as two sharp knives upon him as he spoke.

'We have lost good men.' Erwin said, his tone switching from fast-paced and energetic to slow and mournful. 'Too many, to be honest. Still, for all the sacrifices we have made, our very survival is purely a coincidance, a matter of luck.'

Levi nodded in agreement. He might not have been a great admirer of books or enthusiastic about the more intellectual aspects of fighting, but he had a good deal of practical common sense. Common sense that told him, that the young man in his custody, the one he had to watch over above all was the key to the continued existence of humanity.

'Eren.' he said.

Erwin nodded. 'Yes, Eren.' he agreed. 'Were it not for Eren's decision to side with us, we would have been wiped at the Battle of Trost. Without his single-minded determination to defend humanity, we would have fallen for sure. And why did he side with us? Or for that reason, why did Annie Leonhart, the female titan was so bent on exterminating us? And the others? After all...' he concluded gloomily. 'we have every reason to suspect that there are other shapeshifters within the walls who are aimed at bring our downfall about. What are their motivations?' 

Levi frowned. 'Whatever their motivations are, their death is conclusive.' he said, raising his hands casually in the air.

Erwin didn't answer. He simply wished if it were that simple. The casualty list would be still a horrible piece of document to look at, but at least the danger would only lurk on the battlefield. But it was a war dragging on in the hearts and minds of everyone living within these walls: the impoverished refugees from the lost territories who somehow managed to stay alive, the people in the undercity catching ghout or going blind, the affluent citizens of the capital who have been forced to pay a great deal of extra taxes since the ascencion of Queen Historia, the families of the soldiers who wonder every single day whether their loved ones are alive or died the most horrible death imaginable. 'It is a matter of life and death, a road either to safety or ruin.' Yes, Sun Tzu was right. These were the stakes. And Erwin for one wowed that whatever happened, humanity will be the one left standing on this field, however many corpses may pile up under its feet. 

'Don't make that gloomy face.' Levi stepped out, pacing towards Erwin until he faced the taller man. He tilted his head and ached his back a bit backwards to face him directly. For all the difference in height, Erwin felt that Levi was the taller one at the moment. And that was why he recruited the Corporal all those years ago. 

'This fight isn't pretty.' Levi said scoffing at him. 'Which one is? Blood is blood, guts are guts, and when you tear them out, the light goes out in a pair of eyes. _That_  is the way life is. You can't change that and only a fool would try.' Levi's voice rang with strength; a force unintelligeble and intractable, but a force felt every bit as the simple, common, naked truth. There were no traces of frustration or doubt in their, but a sense of clarity and single-minded determination that came to people only on a few occasions during a lifespan. But that wasn't the point that the raven tried to make, 'win or die' wasn't the heart of the matter. Levi lifted his left hand and linked the tip of his straightened index finger to Erwin's chest, just above his heart. ' _You_  can win.'

Erwin was positive that he forgot to breathe for a heartbeat. He really was not expecting such an unwaivering declaration of confidence from reserved officer, the closest thing he got to a lieutenant, or even...a friend. It was a solemn declaration, with a solemn responsibility and duty: the ensure that the men under his command lived to see the end of the conflict and that humanity, everything they were protecting was secured the chance to have a choice about what to do with itself - preferably something more meaningful and less gory, than killing.

Erwin hid his astonishment as quickly and as rigorously as he could. Whether Levi has caught his moment of weakness was immaterial. His resolve was steeled once again and with the mantle of responsibility once again firmly cast upon his shoulders, he felt strangely relieved. A moment of clarity of his own. He will see this matter out, and he will not quit until he secured victory, or at least the chance of victory. That's why he seeked answers and that's why he had to find them.

Two faint knocks fell onto the solid wooden door, with seconds of interval between them, as if whoever was standing out there wanted to get in, but wasn't sure if he wished to do so himself.

'Enter.' Erwin called out resolutely. His long-awaited guest has arrived.

Levi took a step to the right, probably only bothering to discover who the newcomer was because he had to turn away from Erwin anyway.

Armin Arlert's slim, shaky feature cut a rather sharp contrast to the atmosphere of the room. He almost felt as tiny compared to the room and its occupants as to the titans as he swallowed. He was summoned by Commander Erwin an hour ago, without any indication of the subject to be discussed - an indication in itself that something important was afoot.

'Cadet Armin Arlert reporting on duty.' - he shouted with as much resolution as he could muster as he saluted.

'At ease, Armin.' Erwin said, smiling candidly. Corporal Levi - his squad commander - however didn't bother to greet him. 'Business as usual.' he concluded.

'Now, please tell me Armin. What do you think is the key to winning this war against the titans?' Erwin asked.

The war? Like the whole war? And the key? What could he mean? Armin's mind was galopping at an incredible speed, jumping from one point to another as he tried to make the connections between the dots and get a clear picture of the situation. That was his strong suite after all.

'I-I believe' he began, still feeling rather uncomfortable having been asked such a momentous question. Or it could have been the penetrating (or piercing?) eyes that Levi was seemingly intent to not move away from him.

'Go on, speak your mind cadet.' Erwin encouraged him.

'Well, sir. We are outmatched in this war by virtue of the great disparity in physical strength between us and the titans. It might take as many as half a dozen of the regular garrison or military police troops to kill a single one.' The corporal raised an eyebrow at the statement, but whether in agreement or dissent was anyone's guess. Erwin's face however remained as static as the walls themselves.

'We have only one way to counteract that imbalance to any degree: the utilization of Eren's titan powers. We have made a lot of progress in learning about themand with his dogged determination it is possible that _he_ will be the key to our victory.' Thinking of the experiments they conducted, something that Hange said popped into his mind. 'We know so little of them.' she said once. More than once actually. And she was right. 

'However' - his tone suddenly echoed with resolution - 'that is only part of the problem. We simply cannot bet everything on Eren winning us the war. We have to create the situation in which he can win. For that - he added - we need information.' Armin almost sputtered by the end, and panted heavily thanks to the excitement. 

Erwin did not answer, but he seemed pleased enough with Armin's reply. He turned around the desk in front of which he was standing and picked up something from it.

'Are you familiar with the name Sun Tzu, Armin?' he asked. The name however didn't ring any bells. Armin certainly never heard of it. 

'No, sir.' he answered somewhat warily. 

'Well, you'll have plenty of time to get acquianted with it now.' he said, holding a large, richly decorated volume between his hands towards Armin. 'He's been a general of the ancient times.' he kept a pause at this point for the sake of the greater impact. 'The times before the titans.' he pronounced seriously. 

Armin suddenly raised his head facing the Commander in amazement. The times before the titans? There were not many books that survived from that age as they were systematically hunted down and burned by the Military Police in accordance with the wishes of the first king for reasons that were still not completely clear to them. Any such volume was worth piles of treasures, and might proved immesurable in understanding the life-or-death struggle that everyone, the cadets of the 104th, the Survey Corps - the whole of humanity in fact; was embroiled in, without as much as knowing what it was actually going on for. Survival, sure. But why did it have to be like that? And how did humans taking up titan shapes fit into the whole of it? Actually, what was going on? So many questions without answers. 

'This is a study on how to make war - the best available.' Erwin said. 'Well, it was presumed that humans would fight humans, so its tactical advices are rather...unfitting' he said apologitecally, 'however the general views and principles on the nature of a conflict and strategy are invaluable.' Erwin held out the volume in a gesture for Armin to take it.

The young man however felt quite confused, his rocketing mind slipping off for a short moment considering all sorts of issues. Finally, he took the volume, still in disbelief over it having been offered to him at all. He tried his best to stay a disciplined, dutiful soldier. Alas, curiousity overtook him, and he opened up the book at a random spot, strolling his fingers over the pages, smelling them, inhaling in every bit of the experience as if it were fresh air. 

Erwin smiled in genuine amusement as Armin shifted to the title page of the book, still bathing in the joy of exploration. 'Please, study it carefully.' Erwin ordered in a formal tone. 

Armin looked up briefly from the depth of the book. 'Am I to take it, sir?' he asked.

'Yes, and I expect you to enrich your strategic knowledge by reading it! Don't neglect or take this task lightly Cadet Arlert' - he said solemnly - 'this is part of your duties!' 

Armin let out a faint chuckle. The Commander was not normally one to jest, but if he was giving this gift with pleasure, all the better.

'I will, sir!' Armin clashed his ankles together, holding the book under his left arm as he saluted.

'I expected nothing less.' Erwin replied. 'You are dismissed, Armin.' Erwin said.

'Thank you, sir.' Armin said before turning around and marching out of the room. 

'Hah, new toy for the kid. I know that he is useful, but perhaps you should teach him first how to keep his room clean. You should have seen how it looked like the last time.' Levi said. 

That almost sounded like...a joke. This was the second time this day that he surprised Erwin. The Commander however was not one to be outpaced in wit.

'Cheer up, Levi he might very well end up one day leading the Corps and being your boss.' Erwin said gleefully. The joke however seemed to have been lost on the Corporal, who merely brushed it aside.

'Although I wish' - Erwin added under his breath - 'that knowledge could be pursued for the sheer joy and eye-opening awe of exploring an endless world and the endless details of life.' He stepped to the window and measured the nature outside. 'Perhaps in a world, where killing will not be necessary.'

Armin Arlert was trodding happily towards the doorms, bearing his newfound fountain of knowledge. That night, he shoved aside sleeping in favour of the tightly-written old, yellow pages.  

 


End file.
